Functional disability and associated factors in older adults seen at a primary health care unit

Objectives: To assess functional disability and associated factors in older patients cared for at a large Brazilian urban area. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study performed at a primary health care unit in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Participants were selected via probabilistic sampling of 400 older individuals. We used a sociodemographic and health questionnaire along with instruments for assessing fear of falling (FES-I), cognitive function (MMSE), and depression symptoms (GDS-15). For dependent variables, we used instruments for assessing basic activities (BADL; Katz) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL; Lawton). Factors associated with functional disability were analyzed via logistic regression models. Results: The mean age of participants was 75.23 (SD = 8.53); 63.20% were female, 27.00% were dependent in BADL and 39.25%, in IADL. Older individuals with better cognitive function and who had not been hospitalized in the previous year were less prone to functional disabilities. Factors such as older age, more depression symptoms, and greater fear of falling were more linked to disabilities in BADL. Factors such as older age, female sex, and greater fear of falling were more linked to disabilities in IADL. Conclusions: The prevalence of disability in BADL and IADL in the studied sample was high. Modifiable and non-modifiable factors were associated with functional disability. These results may help primary health care professionals understand the risk factors for functional disability in the older population.